Cycling is all about pedaling. No matter the bike, kit, and all the other bells and whistles, if you don’t start moving your legs you’re not going anywhere. In fact, the pedaling motion comes so naturally to most of us that we don’t even give it a second thought. With all the focus on cadence, a lot of times pedaling efficiency gets left behind.

Yes, cadence is important and has a large effect on how efficient your pedaling is, but it’s not the whole story. If you’re completing 90 revolutions a minute for a two hour ride, that’s over 10,000 revolutions. So, just think about the effect it could have on your riding if you made each one of those revolutions everything it could be.

Check Before You Start

The hip, knee, and angle should all be in as straight of a line as possible when pedaling.

Before your start working on your pedaling technique you’ll want to ensure your bike is setup properly for you. The first thing to look at will be your saddle height. If the saddle is too low you’ll restrict the pedal stroke where you can produce the most power. If it’s too high your hips will start to rock side to side.

You may also want to take a look at crank arm length, as having the right fit for you can help improve your pedaling efficiency. The correct crank length puts your knee in the correct position at the top of the pedal stroke, and still leaves space between your knees and your stomach.

Watch Your Alignment

We’ve all seen bow-legged cyclists (or maybe you are one of them). Although it can be difficult to keep your hip, knee, and ankle in a straight line, this is the goal. Bowing your legs out is not only less efficient, but it can also lead to knee injuries.

Pedal in Circles

Running in circles may not be the way to go, but pedaling in circles definitely is. The first thing you need to do is start looking at pedaling as a complete revolution, made up of different angles, muscle groups, and power (much more than just the downstroke). Efficient pedaling technique is something that can come with time in the saddle, but you can speed up the process by focusing on each part of the movement and applying force around the pedal stroke.

1. The Down Stroke (1 – 5 o’clock)

This is the most natural feeling part of the pedal stroke, and where most of your power comes from. If you think of a single revolution as a clock face, the downstroke happens at about 1 to 5 o’clock. You are pushing down with your heel level to the ground or even about 20 degrees below your toe.

2. The Pull Back (5 – 6 o’clock)

This motion at the bottom of your pedal stroke should feel like scraping your foot back. You should feel the movement in your calf, with your heel lifting slightly. Imagine you have mud on the toe of your shoe that your are trying to scrape off on the pavement.

3. The Lift Up (7 – 11 o’clock)

The goal of the lift up is not so much to produce a ton of power, but to lift the weight of your leg so your opposing leg is not lifting it up with the downstroke (especially at a fast cadence). Your ankle should be at about a 20 degree angle with the movement, and be sure to keep your knee from bowing out. This is when you want to engage your core and glutes to stabilize your legs and make for a smooth motion.

4. The Set Up (11 – 1 o’clock)

The biggest mistake a lot of cyclists make is not initiating the downstroke early enough. The set up is a very short transition, with the feeling of lifting your knees, involving your hip flexors, and getting into the downstroke as soon as possible.

The Upper Body

While pedaling, the upper body should be as quiet (motionless) as possible. Upper body movement may make you feel like you’re putting a little something extra in, but it’s a complete waste of effort. Instead, you want to isolate the upper body from the motion of the legs. This will take a conscious effort at first, but will become second nature over time.

Exercises to Improve Your Pedaling Efficiency

Slow It Down

Find a hill and try climbing at a much higher gear and lower cadence (around 40 rpm) than you normally would. Focus on keeping your upper body still, while taking note of where your naturally strong surges and dead spots are. From there you can work on each aspect of the pedal stroke to get the feel of it being one smooth motion.

Mountain biking is also great for this. If you have large power surges on loose ground, you’ll lose traction, which teaches you pretty quickly not to stamp down on the pedals.

Try a Fixed Gear Bike

Fixed gear bikes force you to pedal in circle, or else you’ll be bouncing around and looking really awkward. This is why track cyclists have some of the most efficient pedaling technique out there. So, if you can get your hands on a fixed gear bike, take it for a spin and focus on making the pedaling as smooth as possible.

One Leg Pedaling

This is exercise is easier on a stationary bike or trainer then out on the road, but it can be done. Start by unclipping one foot from the pedals, while keeping both hips in the normal riding position. Pedal using the clipped in leg for 30 seconds, then clip the other one back in and spin for 15 seconds. Then repeat with the other leg.

This exercise will help you figure out the location of your stroke inefficiency. Pay attention to any part of the movement that is jerky or uneven, then you can start focusing on those areas and making them as smooth as possible.

Pedaling the bicycle is what cycling is all about! Why would you not want to be the most efficient at this one thing? It is what I have focused on the most this year! Testing what works and what does not work.

Quiet Upper Body

I believe one of the most important things (that is not stressed enough in the proper pedal stroke) is keeping a quiet upper body. You may have heard “keep a quiet upper body” but why?

Keeping a quiet upper body sets the rest of the pedal stroke up for success. I started by pedaling up a hill and as soon as I started to get sloppy (head moving back and forth – happened very quickly as explained in my previous post about hill climbing) I either turned around and went down or got out of the saddle to continue to climb. No sloppiness allowed!

After keeping a quiet upper body it all runs down from there…

Alignment

Have your hip, knee and ankle in a line, this is your most efficient and powerful position! Unfortunately, not all of us do this. It is a good idea to set yourself up on a trainer and either use a mirror or a spotter to watch your natural pedal stroke.

I think we have all seen the bow-legged cyclists heading down the highway; don’t let that person be you! This type of pedaling technique is inefficient and can even lead to knee injuries… trust me! (I used to be “that” guy!)

Pedal in a circle!

Doesn’t everyone pedal in a circle? No, they actually do not!

It is easier said than done! Your goal is to accomplish a smooth circle that applies force all around the pedal stroke. Let’s break it down…

Down stroke

Your down stroke happens between 1 and 5 o’clock, if we were comparing your pedal stroke to a clock.

This is where most of the power happens. Most of us do not struggle here, we all know how to push down. Your heel should be even to the ground or even slightly below your toe by as much as 20 degrees.

Pull Back

The pull back happens between 5 and 7 o’clock.

This motion should feel as if you are scraping mud off of your shoes. You will be engaging your calf here and pointing your toe down approximately 10 degrees.

Lift up

The lift up happens between 7 and 11 o’clock.

Your goal here is to lift the pedal up and start pulling toward the sky and later the bar top. Have your ankle at approximately 20 degrees. This is where your knee is going to want to push to the outside (bow legged). Do not let this happen, keep a strong core.

It feels as if you will be lifting the pedal up here and generating a lot more power than you actually are! What you actually are doing is lifting the weight of your leg and making it so your opposing leg is not lifting it up with the down stroke.

At a slower cadence you actually are generating power on the upstroke.

Set up

The set up happens between 11 and 1 o’clock.

Drive your foot forward. Your ankle should be transitioning from 20 degrees to 0 degrees here. It is a good idea to have someone film your natural pedaling technique.

Train Each Phase Then Integrate

Each of these phases mentioned above should be focused on separately and then integrated. It is very difficult to combine them all at once.

I have been focusing on perfecting my pedaling technique for an entire year and I am still not where I want to be. It is difficult! For me it is very quantifiable as I have a computrainer that rates me on efficiency. (If you do not know what this is do not worry I will explain it in a future post).

Improve Your Pedaling Technique

There are several ways to improve your pedaling technique.

Spin on your way downhill – Try to achieve a high cadence in a small gear downhill without bouncing on your saddle. Again focus on a quiet upper body and a strong core.

One leg drills – Pedal with one foot. This will force you to pedal all the way through and develop your “smooth pedal stroke” muscles.

Rollers – When you feel like you have good balance try out some trainer rollers and this will do wonders for your pedaling technique. It will force you to pedal smoothly or you will fall! I do not suggest rollers for the beginner cyclist. They are difficult and frustrating and you should start on trainer.

Fixed gear – Kid style! Fixed gear bikes force you to pedal in circles or you will get bounced around.

Focus

If you were to focus on one thing in the next few months this would be it! Your greatest efficiency gains are in your pedal stroke! In average human standings… I went from 0 to pretty awesome just by improving my pedaling technique.

I still focus on my cycling technique nearly every ride. When I began I could hold a good technique for 15 to 30 seconds before I started to get sloppy and my hip flexors were screaming. It takes time and focus to build up, but it is worth it! Your muscles develop faster than you would think and in no time you will be flying up hills and along the flats efficiently and with a quiet upper body.

Striving to achieve the perfect pedaling technique is worth the time and energy, I promise!

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